Means for handling goods.



PATENT-ED JULY 16, 1907;

A. E.'PLATT. MEANS FOR HANDLING GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB; 11, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

ulumlmnmiii':

munl PATENTED'IJULYWIGH; 1907.

A. E. PLATT. MEANS FOR HANDLING GOODS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.11;1907.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v nuauloz PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

A E. PLATT. MEANS FOR HANDLING GOODS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.11, 190 7- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' Elvwudoz Z Plait Qttouwqo for removing goods from more or less elevated shelves means for handling invention is to'provide a simple, durable and efli- For'a full understanding of the invention and the I UN TED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. PLATI. or OTTUMWA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF wn-HALF '10 0. os'r RTAe, OF

' o'rTUMwA, IOWA.

MEANS FOR HANDLING GOODS.

Application filed February 11,

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'Aurnun E. PLAT'I, a citizen of,- the United States, residing at Ottumwa, in the county of Wapcllo and State of Iowa, have invented certain 5 new and useful Improvements in Means for Handling Goods, of which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in store furniture, and relates particularly to improved means for handling goods and and replacing the same, the apparatus being operated from the floor and providing means whereby the shopkeeper may utilize his entire wall space for the reception of goods in shelves one abovethe other irom the floor to the ceiling and without the consequent disad- I vantage of the use of step-ladders, or other inconvenient and dangerous devices to remove or replace goods from and on the uppermost shelves.

7 The invention has for its primary object improved goods whereby the merchant or clerk may, while standing on the floordremove goods, by means of the mechanical features provided by my' invention, from shelves that would otherwise be so high as to be inaccessible, and a further object-of the cient construction and arrangements of parts to accomplish this purpose, all as hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction 5: the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus for handling goods in stores; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with parts in section; Fig. 3 is a similar view from the opposite side andwith the parts in a different position from that illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the carriage supporting head and other parts secured thereto; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the supporting post andsleeve of the carriage supporting head organ enlarge scale; Eig. fi is a detail side elevation, wit parts m 5 section, of the;.carriage supporting head, and carriage 5 and, Fig. 7 a fragmentary view of apart of thehead ,illustrating the gneans for holding said, head as agaiust, accidental rotation, when the head is moveddown. to its lowennost position. v p

Corresponding and like parts are referredto in the.- following description and indicated in all the views; of the drawings by the same reference characters.

My improved goods handling apparatus comprises a vertical post 1 which is mounted at its lower end within a foot 2, the latter being provided with rollers 3 adapted to travel upon a track 4 running along the floor in front of the series of shelves that are adapted to contain the goods to be displayed and sold The post 1 carries at its upper end a roller 5 mounted to travel along an elevated rail 6 which is preferably suspcpded fromthe ceiling by means of suitable hangers.

support of lhe apparatus, is mounted to travel back and forth in front of the shelving so as to be brought to the proper point to remove and replace the desired goods. The post 1. is further provided. near its lower end, with a preferably stationary collar 7 which is formed with two oppositely extending arms 8, each one of which carries a roller 9 lnounicdto travel along another rail 10 which issccurcd to the outer edge and lower side of the lowermost shelf 11 of the series. One of the arms 8 which, together with the collar 7, constitute a reinforcing guide for the post 1, carries-a latch 12'which is preferably pivoted eccentrically, so that its handle portion tends to swing down and its'opposite end tends to slide along the track or rail 10 and move automatically up into-any one of a'series of notches 13 in said track; By this means, the post may be locked or held stationary at. the desired point along the shelving.

I 14 designates a supporting head which is provided 9y this means, the post 1: which is the mainv with a preferably integral sleeve 15 rcvolubly and I slidingly mounted upon the post 1, and said sleeve carrlcs a latch or dog 16 which is pivoted thereto and is adapted to enter, through a slot in a side of the longitudinal extension 15 of the sleeve, any one of avertically extending series of notches 18 in the key-way or spline e 17 extending longitudinallyof and secured to the post 1.

revolved around the post. When the supporting head is raised to different elevations on the post 1, the extension 15 of thesleeve l5 registers with and slidesalong over the spline or key-way 17, and it is obvious that the supportinghcad may he held;at;3lifferent oleivations by the locking engagement ottherdog 16 in any one of the notches 18. The dog 16 isspring-pressed to its operative position, as clearlyillustrated in the drawi i The supporting liead l4embodiestwo spaced sup portingarms 19 andpan intermediate and parallel hanger arm 20. A carriageBl-is mounted upon the arms 19 and embodies two angular portions 2] that are 1 'ilanged so as to be retained in theirisliding movement upon the said arms 19, two upright fingers 22 at the ends of the angular portions 21, and a connecting cross bar 23.

- nent shelf 28. It is to be understood that shell A pair of hooks 24 is swung from the cross bar 23, and

said hooks are connected together by means of a nor-- an upper, operative position. It is intended that the carriage just described shall be moved along thearms l9 of the supporting head 14 so that the hooks 24 will come into engagement with or move upwardly into'l o'ops 26 that .are secured to and project forwardly from a false shelf or drawer 27 mounted upon an elevated permawhich would not be accessible from the floor without my invention, is supplied with the series of these false shelves or drawers 27 upon whichthe bolts of goods or the like are directly supported. v I

In order to manipulate the apparatus from the floor, I provide an actuating cable or'rope, which is practically a single rope, but which for'the purposes of description I shall divide into two runs designated 29 and 29*, respectively. The two ends of this practically endless actuating rope are both connected to the cross bar 23 of the carriage. From this point, the run 29 extends over a pulley 30 journaled in the rope in the outer end of the hanger arm 2t), thencedownwardly and back-' wardly over a-pulley 31 journaled in adianger (lQ-pCl'ldr ing from the cross bar of the supporting head 14, thence downwardly and around a pulley 32 journaled in the hanger projecting from the foot 2, and thence upwardly along the post and over another pulley 33 journaledat the upper end of said post. At this point, for the purpose of perspicuity, I have divided the rope (although it is practically continuous) and the other run 29" ext nds downwardly from the pulley 33, thence around a I pulley 34 journaled on the sleeve 15 oi the supporting head and thence through an aperture 35 in the handle end of the latch or dog [6, being finally secured at its extremity, as above described to'tlrc cross bar 23. B etwecn such extremity and the handleend of the latch 16, this run of the rope is provided witlra stop, which may be an enlargement of any kind, such as a knot or a ring 36, said stop being provided so that when the actuated cord is pulled in one direction, said stop may engage with the handle end 16 and move the same against the action of the spring, out of engagement with the notched spline or key-way 17.

As has been above stated, when the supporting head is at the lower limit of its movement, it may be revolved around the post 1. In order to maintain the said supporting head from accidental rotation, I provide the rear cross bar oithe supporting head 14 on opposite sides ol its supporting sleeves 15 with depending lugs 37,-

each of which isprovided was a small socket 38, and I mount upon one of the. arinsS an upivardly projecting spring-pressed pin 39 adapted to enter either one of the sockets, to hold the supporting head on the post with it arms I!) p inting towards thi helving oraway from the. shelving, as desired.

When it is desired to remove goods from anclevated shell, the merchant or clerlcwill proceed as follows, the shell ZEl heing taken asan example for the-purpdscs of illustration: The operator will first move the post alongits supporting rails until the desired point along the shelving is reaches" and will then permit the dog or latch 12 to move into one of the notches 13 which will hold" the posFstatiorraryduring the subsequent operation. He will then pull the actuating cord in one direction by drawingdownwardly upon the run 29 whii'h will result in raising the supporting head 14 until its arms 19 are at a slight elevation above the shelf on which the goods are laid. The rope will then be slackencd and the latch 16 will catch in the proper notch 18 to throw the arms 19 on a level with the desired shelf. The actuating ropcis then pulled in the opposite direction by drawing downwardly upon the run 29 which will obviously result in sliding the carriage 21 along the arms .19 towards the goods. In this movement, it is to be noted that the tautness of the actuating cord where it crosses the cross rod 25 of the two hooks 24, will swing said cross rod upwardly and consequently carry the hooks 24 upwardly so that they will enter the loops 26. The operator will then continue to hold the run 29 substantially taut, while at the same timef'he will pull down upon the run 29 and this will move the carriage back'wardly again upon the arms 19 and pull the false or portable shelf 27 as of the stationary shelf 28 and carry the goods out upon the arms 19 of the supporting head 14'until the stop 36 shall have'come into operative contact with the latch 16. Such contact wi' result in pulling the latch 16 from opelative connection with the notch 18 in which it has been entered and then, by releasing the run 29, it is obvious that the head 14 may be permitted to slide down the supporting post 1 to a point level with or a little below the sheli 28, or where the sleeve. of the head will be supported by the sleeve 7 on the post 1. This will bring the sleeve 15 oi" the head below the key-way or spline 17 thereby permitting the operator to swing the head half wayaround the supporting post 1. which will place the goods directly infront of the customer.

In order to replace the goods upon the shelf, the head porting post 1 until the pin 39 comes into its proper socket 38, which will bring the sleeve 15 in proper registry with the key-way or spline 17. The operator then pulls downwardly upon the run 29 of the actuating rope, until the head .14 shall have been raised high enough to bring its arms 19 a little ahoye tho-shelf where it is desired to replace the goods, t ie rope iathen released and the head rope dropped tothe desired position. The actuating rope is then pulled in the opposite direction by drawing downwardly upon the run 29 which will slide the carriage outwardly upon its supporting arms 19 and move the false shelf or slide 27 back upon its stationary shell. Then the run 29 is pulled downwardly and the carriage 21 will slide back towards the sleeve 15 which will not release the latch 16 until entirely back. it is to he understood that the supporting post 1 may be made sectional so that the apparatus may be readily installed and used in rooms with different heights of ceiling.

I If desired, I may-prtrvide the apparatus with two mirrors 40 and 41, allowing the clerk on the floor to see the grade or quality of goods on the high shelves. The mirror 41 hangs perpendicularly, and can be lifted to an angle of forty-five degrees, thereby allowing the operator to examine the goods through the aid of the mirror 40. The mirror 41 is attached to the head 14 and should be attached far enough up on the sleeve 15 at. an angle (if forty-five degrees, so that the goods may be re- .clevating said head'on the post and for holdln" said head carriage hack and forth on the head and to automatically ,arms and embodying a cross bar extending over the hanger gagement by said hooks, and an actuating cord connected sootme flected in said mirror and thence again reflected to tho I nirror 40. The mirror 41 maybe supported by an u pright fastened on the upper side of the head 14 and connected to the outer and upper corners of said mirr r. The inner and upper corner of said mirror is i'astcm-d to the sleeve 15, shown.

While I have shown and described my improved apparatus as applied to shelving, with slidcs or also shelves 27 directly supporting the goods, it is obvious that the device may he used with equal ollicicncy iu sliding out and replacing drawers,v the loops 2; illustrated being equivalent to handles on said drawers.

Having thus described the invention, what is clai med as new is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described. the combination of an upright: supporting post, a hcad mounted to turn and move up and'down on said post, means for against rotation in its elevated positions. a carriage movahlo laterally on said head. a slide adapted to support goods, and means for automatically engaging the carriage with said slide and for moving said slide rearwardly and forwardly on the head.

2. in an apparatus of the character described, the combinatlon of a supporting post, floor and ceiling tracks along which said post is adapted to run, an intermediate track provided with notches, a. reinforcing guide connected to said post and embodying oppositely extendingarms provided with rollers adapted to run on said intermediate track, a latch mounted on one of said arms and adapted to enter the notches, a spring-pressed pin carried hv one of said arms. a head revolubly mounted on said post, means for raising said head on the post, a carriage laterally movable on said head, means connected to said carriage for moving goods on and from said head, and means for moving thesaid carriage. the said head being provided with sockets as adapted to receiv'e the said springprussod pin whereby, to malntain'the head as against. accidental revoluble movement.

i. In an apparatus of the character described. the combinalion of a supporting post, ahead movable on said post, said head being provided with a spring-pm .d latch. and the post provided with a notched spline, the note cs cf which are adapted to be engaged by said latch, whcrcll'y to hold the head at different elevations on the post, a laterally movable carriage on said head, a slide adapted to contain goods, means for automatically connecting the carriage to said slide, and an actuating cord adapted to raise the head on the post and also arranged to move the effect the engagement and disengagement of the carriage with the saidsllde and also arranged to autolmitically rc lease the latclr from engagement with the notched spline when the carriage is moved backwardly on the head.

4, An apparatus of the character described, comprising 51 supporting post, means for supporting said post. a head movable vertically on said post and provided with a springpressed latch, the post being provided with a notched spline arranged-for engagement with the head and the notches of which are adapted for engagement by the latch, said head embodying spaced a1'ins,'and an intermediate hanger arm, a carriage slidably mounted on said spaced arms, swinging hooks suspended from said cross bar, a rod connecting said swinging hooks together for simultir neous movement, a false shelf or. slide adaptcd to hold the goods and provided with a pair of loops arranged for ento the cross bar of the carriage and passing forwardly and rearwardly.therefrom and downwardly over the hunger arm and across said cross rod, the said cord passing through the handle end of the latch and provided with a stop adapted to engage said handle end to release the l'atch l'rom cuuagcmont wi1h'.thc notcbod pliuc. l'lll' rope being adaplcd to bc drawn taut as it cr .scs thc cross rod of the hooks \\'l\('lt'l to swilr: Said hooks upwardly into oprativc'positiou tor culcrim: lbc said loops.

.1. in an apparatus of thc character tics ribcd. thc combinaliou of a supporting post. a hood mouutcd to movo'vcu tically on said post, moans for clcvatin said head on the post. a latch :ulaptcd lo hold lln" bond at dill'cucnl clcvnlions on tho post. a carriage lair-rally llltH'tlldU upon the hood. a false shell or slidc :ulaplcd to contain goods and providl-d with loops. swingii hook carricd by said (Earri: 'c. a cross rod conncrlin 11d hool lot-."clhor for simultum-nus movcmcul and t\l'l'2 lll;;'|(l to swing said hooks up wurllly into l'ilgumllltill with lhc loops. at bang-or a in projccling t'orwardi from the hood and provided at. its outer cud with a pulley. and an actuating cord sccurcd to tho carriag and cxlcmliu; in opposilc dircclious lhcrcl'rom. whcrchy the carriage. may bc puilcd by said cord both for\\'ardl and hackwardly on the lttilll, onc portion of said ropo cxlcnding' ovcr said policy and umlcrncnlh the cross rod o said books. and anothcr portion oi said cord cxtcndinp; rcm-wardly troui the carriage to and through lhc handle curl of said latch and provided with slop adapted to engage said handle end. \vhrrcby to release the latch. as and for the purposc so! forth.

bination of a supporting post, a head movable vrrtically on said post m ans for raisin; said hcutl on the pos means for sliding goods on to thc hcad, means for holding said head at (lii lt'l'tlll clcvutions on the post, and mirrors arranged to rclh-ct tho growls-at an clcvatcd position, one of said mirrors hciu: stationary, and the other c2 ricd by said head.

7. in an apparatus of the character described. the combination of an upright supporting post, provided with a notched splinc. said splinc tcrminaling, nbovc the lowcr cud of the post, a hcad mouulcd to turn on said post below the spline and adaplcd for engagement. with the spline when the bond is raiscd. means for raising; the head on the post and in cncagmucul, with the spline, a latch carried by the head and adapted to oulcr any of tho nolchcs of thc splinc to hold lbc head at dill'orcnt clcvatious on tho posl. a carriage movable laterally on said head and moans (or automatically engaging goods by said too and for moving l.bc lallcr back and forth on said ;ragiug: goods, and moans for shill his; the carriage back and forth on the hcad.

.l. in an apparatus of the character described, the coinbination of a supporting post, a head mounted to move vertically thereon. said head being provided with a hanger arm 20, an actuating" cord arranged to raise and lower the head on the post, the said hanger arm being; provided with a pulley over which said actuating cord passes, a carriagc movable laterally 'on the head, swinging hooks pivololly conncclcd to said marriage, a. cross bar connecting said hooks. said cross bar adapted to swing against. a portion of the actuating: cord or rope, whereby the latter may be drawn taut. and swing he hooks into operative position for (imaging goods. and :onncction between said carriage and said actuating: cord or rope.

in testimony wlrercot 1 atlixv my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR .ll. ILAIi. in. s]

\Vitncsscs i l M. CAMPBELL, A. IioLsni'.

an apparatus of the character dcscrlbcd. thc conr' 

